Mikel Arteta fumes over 'clear red cards' as Arsenal boss says title race 'would be different'

The victory over the Magpies secured by an early strike from Eberechi Eze, lifted the Gunners back above Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

But Arteta's focus quickly turned to the 74th-minute incident involving Nick Pope and Viktor Gyokeres.

"I don't know why the Newcastle keeper wasn't sent off," he said. "I have watched it 10 times. If you have ever played football, it is a red card."

He doubled down moments later: "It's a clear red card. If you have ever played football, it is a red card. The trajectory of where the ball is, there's no keeper there. If that were to happen the other way around, it's a red card."

Arteta linked the moment directly to last weekend's 2-1 defeat at City, where Abdukodir Khusanov avoided dismissal for a challenge on Kai Havertz.

"It's the second time in two games," he said. "Against Manchester City, when Kai Havertz goes through, Khusanov fouls him at 1-1 - the title is there. It is a red card."

"These are the margins," he added. "In crucial moments when everything is at stake, we need everything to go our way and it hasn't."

While clearly frustrated, Arteta insisted he was not deflecting responsibility. "I'm not putting any excuses. I'm the first one to understand," he said. "I didn't talk about it when we lost the game. I'm doing it when we won."

He also pointed to the broader implications of such decisions in a tight title race: "If they go our way, we are in a different world today."

On the pitch, Arsenal needed just nine minutes to find the breakthrough, with Eze finishing a well-worked short corner - a routine that initially drew groans from the Emirates crowd.

"When the teams are so physical, you have to find other ways," Arteta said. "The thing that I like best is the courage of the players. We play short and you can see the reaction in the crowd… but on the third one - courage, big courage."

Despite the early goal, the contest remained tense throughout, with Newcastle pushing late on. Arteta acknowledged the difficulty of the run-in.

"I don't expect, after 22 years of not winning it, that it's going to be a path of roses and beautiful music," he said. "It's going to be like this and we are ready for it."

Arsenal's title push could yet hinge on fine margins - including goal difference - and Arteta admitted his side had hoped to extend their advantage.

"We wanted a bigger margin but we were not able to," he said. "When it's 1-0 it's always tough."

Attention now turns to the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, with both Havertz and Eze forced off.

"They are muscular niggles," Arteta said. "We don't think it's too much. We have to see if they are available for Wednesday."